The Despair of Ryoko Otonashi
by smx underground
Summary: Remembering is a dangerous thing, Especially if you're Ryoko Otonashi


One would be surprised how well one can sleep in the apocalypse. It also helps that Future Foundation has been doing a lot to restore the world. The skies are still red but the air is at least breathable. Makoto Naegi was sleeping well until he heard a frantic knocking on the door. Makoto never was that much of a morning person, So he managed to wake up, make himself presentable, and walk to the door, all at a snail's pace. The knocking became more distressed as he walked to the door.

Makoto opened the door, to find a rather haggard Ryoko Otonashi, Ultimate Analyst and former Ultimate Despair, supporting herself on his doorframe. Her dress was haphazard, her white button up shirt was misbuttoned in a couple of places, and it was clashed with the black sweatpants. Her state of dress wasn't the only clue to her state of mind, her hair was wild and the red was tangled with the pink/blonde. Her eyes were red and exhausted, the corners of her eyes were stained with tears.

"Ryoko?" Makoto asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

Ryoko leaped at Makoto and clutched him tightly. She started to sob dryly, her tears already used up for the the night.

"M-Makoto," She coughed, "H-h-help… me.."

"What's wrong?" Makoto tried to return the hug, but then Ryoko gasped and stood back up.

Ryoko crossed her arms protectively around herself and started to pace around the room, her eyes darting around wildly. She kept muttering something to the effect of "I can't. Too dangerous".

"Ryoko? What's the matter?" Makoto asked, only to be ignored in favor of more muttering and pacing.

Makoto took a step forward. Seeing no reaction, he opted to walk closer towards her, outstretching his hand to try and comfort the mess of of nerves that was Ryoko Otonashi.

"Wait, Stay away from me!" Ryoko yelled, "I-I… I'm too…"

"Ryoko, I can't help you if you don't tell what's going on."

Ryoko stopped pacing but still was trembling in place. "I-I don't… w-want …."

"Ryoko, please, tell me what's happening to you!"

"I can't, I don't want you to end up like Yasuke!"

Ryoko gasped as she covered her mouth. Makoto tried to place a 'Yasuke' somewhere in his mind. A full minute passed in silence while Makoto tried to remember where he had heard the name before. A 'Yasuke Matsuda' showed up in a couple of Future Foundation files. He was the Ultimate Neurologist who developed the memory erasing tech Junko used on the rest of them during the Killing Game. They hadn't used the name at all since the procedure, so Ryoko shouldn't even know the name unless…

"Oh… Oh no…" Makoto gasped.

Ryoko nodded her head and whimpered.

Makoto had Ryoko sit on his sofa while went and made tea. Ryoko briefly wondered what good tea would do in a situation like this, but she considered the fact that she had the presence of mind to think that comfort enough for the time being. Makoto entered the room and set the tea down. He took a cup and sat down beside Ryoko, while keeping one cushion away from her.

"Are you okay now?" Makoto asked, while taking a sip of tea.

Ryoko quietly nodded, staring blankly at the tea tray.

" I had a dream... " Ryoko started, "I was in a class trial with Junko. The Trial was to decide which one of us lives… Mukuro and Yasuke were there, arguing against me, but, you and Kyoko were arguing for me."

"How did it end?"

"I woke up before the conclusion could be reached, but when I did wake up, I started to remember small bit and pieces from Junko's life, the things I did with Mukuro, Finding the Kamakura project, instigating the first tragedy… I was so scared."

"Well you seem the same as ever," Makoto reasoned, "Maybe regaining your memories isn't such a bad thing."

"Don't you start with your optimistic crap, you hopeful son of a bitch!" Ryoko yelled and then in short order clasped her hand over her mouth, "I have no idea where that came from, I'm so sorry."

"Okay, the mood swings are worrying. I sent a message to Kyoko, She cleared me to show you something when we get to work."

Makoto stood up from the couch and went to his room. He then returned with a pillow and blanket.

"Will you be okay here for now?"

"Oooh, Makoto," Ryoko said flirtatiously, "How Scandalous, having a lady over in your room."

"Ryoko?"

"Sorry! Literally the first thing to spring to mind. Felt like I had to say it."

Makoto laughed nervously, "Again, are you going to be alright?"

"I… do have one…favor…" Ryoko hesitated, "Do you have any… Restraints?"

"Ryoko…" Makoto said in a disappointed tone.

"I can't trust myself!" Ryoko shouted, " I'm the Ultimate analyst, I can find millions of ways to kill you just using a tea cup!"

Makoto sighed, just once he had hoped that there was an Ultimate that was slightly normal. He just went back to to his bedroom, locked the door and went back to sleep.

* * *

Makoto sat across from Ryoko looking out the porthole. The blood red and black that permeated the ocean started to hurt his eyes. He looked over to Ryoko, who by her own request was restrained. She hadn't slept at all last night, and while her mood swings still popped up, she hadn't shown any violent tendencies, nor did the word 'Despair' ever come out of her mouth. Makoto decided against fighting with her about it. It was her way of dealing with the developments. At the very least she was a bit more presentable than last night in her Future Foundation Suit. Her hair was a gradiant of her natural red hair at the top of her head, to the bleached rose-blonde hair she had as Junko.

The boat was about to land at a small island that was at the center of an archipelago made up of five bigger islands. The center island was taken up with what looked to be an office building. The outer ring had five docks connected to it. Presumably for quick transit to the other islands.

"Welcome to Jabberwock Island!" Makoto announced as he and Ryoko got off the boat. He moved in to undo Ryoko's handcuffs. She flinched, and Makoto lowered his eyelids in response.

"Come on, Ryoko," Makoto said, "Do you really want our friends to see you like this?"

Ryoko said nothing for fear of another outburst. She just pouted and offered her handcuffs to Makoto. He smiled and he unlocked the handcuffs.

Makoto started to take Ryoko on a mini tour of Jabberwock, mostly pointing out the larger islands when they came into view. He explained that while it was a tourist hotspot before the tragedy, now it mostly served as an offshore base for the Future Foundation.

They entered the building to find Kyoko Kirigiri, Ultimate Detective and Byakuya Togami, Ultimate Affluent Progeny, waiting for them.

"Oh come on! I know you had to tell Kyoko, but did you REALLY have to tell Byakuya!?" Ryoko yelled, in her first words in a while.

"Huh," Kyoko hummed in the small amount of humor she allowed herself, "I honestly can not tell which side that came from."

Byakuya grunted in response, "Just be grateful that I'm not going to HQ with this. Although this should prove that this plan is pointless."

Ryoko bit back some anger, but asked, "What plan?"

"It actually is sort of inspired by what we did with you, actually," Kyoko explained.

"Most of the remnants turned out to be from the same class," Makoto added, "I had a thought, If we could reform Junko Enoshima, then maybe we could do something similar with them."

"What?"

"We're using a program to set the Ultimate Despairs back to their original personalities." Kyoko expounded, "It was developed by our classmates as a sort of Ultimate therapy."

"I hate to say…" Ryoko started, glaring at Byakuya, "and I mean, I REALLY hate to say it, but Byakuya's right, how do we know they just won't revert."

"You haven't reverted," Kyoko said, "You're just remembering and trying to process all of that information."

"I expected some sense from you, Kyoko." Ryoko spat with some venom.

"I never said you won't revert," Kyoko clarified, "These might be early warning signs."

"I agree, this is a waste of time, not to mention what HQ is going to do to us when they find out." Byakuya said.

"No, that's wrong!" Makoto said, "They're our seniors, Byakuya, it's not their fault they fell to despair."

"Really? How about the Mastermind that's currently right here with us?"

"That's our fault," Kyoko said simply turning to Ryoko, "We kept talking about you in relation to Junko and for that, I apologize."

Ryoko looked to the ground. Maybe she was being unfair to herself, but then every once in awhile, there would be a thought, 'Wouldn't it fill you with despair if Makoto died?' or, 'It would completely destroy you if Kyoko got poisoned, huh?'. She didn't vocalize those thoughts, but she knew full well where they came from. That scared her beyond comprehension.

Kyoko beckoned Ryoko to follow her. They went into the basement where there were hundreds of thousands of servers lining the walls. They were all connected to a strange pillar-like apparatus in the center of the room. There were sixteen pods built into the floor.

"This is the Neo World Program," Kyoko announced.

Ryoko was mesmerized by the whole set up. She walked around in awe of the room. She then tripped and fell on one of the pods, finding herself face to face with a blonde girl with her hair in a single ponytail. Ryoko squeaked and scooted away from the pod.

"These are our subjects," Kyoko said, anticipating Ryoko's question, "What remains of Class 77 of Hope's Peak Academy, we only need the last two to start… and they may present a challenge"

"What's going to happen to them?"

"The program will erase their memories to the point of them entering Hope's Peak,"Makoto explained, "From there we will have them re-establish the bonds they made during their time there."

"Isn't that very similar to what I…er… Junko did to you guys?" Ryoko said.

"It was unavoidable, That's just the way the program works" Kyoko said.

"So… If I went in there…"

"We would have to erase your memories again."

"That makes , what, Three times already?" Byakuya Stated, "I'm sure you are aware what the definition of insanity is?"

"This time will be different." Makoto said, "Ryoko will be in an environment without despair and without people who knew her before."

Byakuya grunted, "And what about your observer?"

"We'll adjust her parameters," Kyoko said, "It may help curb suspicion."

Byakuya scoffed, "Do what you want."

Makoto turned to Ryoko, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Ryoko tilted her head questioningly.

"I know we've been beating around the bush here, but you know why we brought you here."

Ryoko looked to the floor.

"There are other options."

"No, That's wrong," Ryoko said, stunning Makoto. He wasn't used to that phrase being used against him.

She continued, "I don't know if I'll become Junko again, but it's not something we can wait to figure out. I can't work with my mind in it's current state. It's not like there isn't a line of Future Foundation agents that want to kill me, that number will only grow once somebody notices a mood swing."

"Ryoko…"

"Besides, this could be the best chance I have to really come into my own. No one will be afraid of me or letting me be me because of my past as Junko Enoshima. I can finally just be Ryoko Otonashi and not worry about who I was in the past. Maybe then…. I won't be so afraid of the truth."

Makoto nodded, and the preparation had begun. They opened a vacant pod and Ryoko lowered herself in.

"We'll try to accommodate you as much as we can during start up," Kyoko said, her smile bitter sweet. It was unlike her to show her emotions so openly. Ryoko rationalized that she was so open because she was losing a friend and a valuable co-worker.

The Pod door closed and the chamber filled itself with some anesthetic.

"Well," Ryoko thought, "At least it won't hurt so much this time."

And thus the the program started…


End file.
